


break my curse

by lanasmyfeather



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, F/F, Flirting, Fluff, Kinda, SQ Endgame, curse, oh and there is a pupper, roni / emma, s7 with a twist
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-03-20 22:57:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13727781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lanasmyfeather/pseuds/lanasmyfeather
Summary: Emma walks into Roni's.There are few twists but that's how it all starts.





	1. Chapter 1

There was a lot of glass crunching under a black pair of heeled boots. Some of it was kicked under the bar in frustration, but most of it was still spread far and wide behind the counter. A deep sigh was let out before a broom was fetched from the corner and the cleaning of the mess began.

Roni muttered some curses out loud as she was cleaning up a second broken glass of the day. She was feeling really cranky for some reason and her mind was filled with business of the people around her. Often times she preferred it that way since if she dived too deep into her own thoughts... well, that often didn't end well. She had enough drinks during work hours as it was.

After she had refused the offer Victoria Belfrey had made of her bar, the business had picked up. She was a lot busier than she had been in months and she could say that she was really proud of herself. Also helping Henry and Officer Rogers to take down Victoria definitely made her feel really good. She was ready to kick some ass, quite literally if anyone asked her. She wasn't hiding a baseball bat behind the counter for nothing.

Several people came to order drinks after she finished cleaning up the shards of glass. Seeing the mess cleared made her feel much better and she was back at handing out drinks to her customers, many of which she knew by name.

Heights was quite of a small community. There weren't many bars around either so everyone ended up at Roni's at some point anyway. And when those systems got some alcohol in them, they were all about sharing their gossip and stories.

Under her almost cold exterior she presented to the world though, Roni felt such care for her community and the people in it. She wanted her bar to be a safe place for everyone to come and enjoy no matter the background or package they came with.

Roni walked among her customers, clearing some empty glasses and bottles from the tables. She returned back behind the bar to make a new patch of drinks when she felt the tell tale breeze of the door opening. She didn't look up right away, too focused on her mixing, until a swift of perfume found her nose.

It was something sweet, like vanilla, not too strong, but mysterious enough to make you curious. Which is why Roni lifted her gaze to her new customer.

If she wasn't at work, she would have definitely needed to sit down for a while because gods in heaven the woman in front of her was gorgeous. A long blonde hair was expertly braided to go around her head to form a crown. The striking green eyes were framed with tasteful amount of black but otherwise the woman seemed to be sporting a very natural look and with a face that beautiful, who would even need make up.

Giving the blonde goddess a quick once over, Roni was quite literally floored. The blonde was wearing a black strapless dress that was quite literally hugging every single curve the woman had, paired with a short leather jacket, matching the color of the dress.

Roni wasn't sure how long she had been staring at the woman, but at some point a throat was cleared and her eyes snapped back to the face of the blonde woman in front of her. She also suddenly remembered she had to go and take the drinks she had been making to the table.

Holding up a finger to signal a minute, she put all the drinks on a tray and walked as steadily as possible to the table where a group of four were happily chatting, having not noticed that their drinks took a while to arrive. Walking back to the bar, Roni tried to cool herself a little bit.

She had seen her fair share of beautiful men and women, but my god wasn't this woman something. Making her way behind the counter and turning towards the blonde, Roni plastered her signature grin on her face before asking. "Welcome to Roni's! What can I get ya?"

The blonde was looking her up and down like she had done just minutes ago to her. Roni was patiently waiting, knowing that the other woman was making an assumption of her and disturbing her might not be her best interest. Roni didn't really know what she was expecting but what the other woman said caught her off guard.

"Something that ends the week with a bang." her voice was beautiful, but there was something rough in it as she wiggled herself into the bar stool right in front of Roni.

Roni was slightly confused. She didn't usually pry anything from the newcomers as it wasn't her place, but she was curious. It was only Wednesday and she didn't know a one job that had a work week that ended in Wednesday. She inquired about this from the blonde, who immediately had a fire in her eyes and she snapped angrily.

"Mind your own business!"

No matter how beautiful this woman was, Roni could feel a fire rising inside her. She had a bit of a temper and there was no one she allowed to talk to her like that. And this woman was no exception. "Excuse me?!"

Roni was quite sure her anger was easy to read from her face and her voice definitely wasn't friendly and it seemed that the blonde had gotten the hint. Few deep breaths later and cheeks definitely a shade pinker, the blonde whispered.

"I do apologise. I didn't mean to go off like that..."

That calmed Roni instantly, seeing the regret shine from the striking green eyes. She didn't want to fight and it seemed that neither did the blonde.

"It's okay. It's not my place to pry. What would you like to drink?"

Roni looked at the woman, waiting for an answer. Before the raised voices the blonde had had a certain sense of powerfulness, regalness even, radiating off of her. But having the encounter with the bartender seemed to have completely drained her out and left her open. Roni though it made the blonde look even more beautiful.

"It's not your fault. I shouldn't have snapped. I'm sorry. It's been really hard and busy few weeks and I need some time off to recover..." the woman trailed off. "... but you are working, I'm sorry I'm taking you away from it." she quickly changed her tone back to more formal and straightened her back.

It was quite sad that the other woman felt like she couldn't share and that she felt like she was bothering Roni. Granted they were strangers but no one deserved to look quite so lost and lonely as the blonde did.

"You know, I might be working but I'm still a good listener." Roni flashed a warmer smile towards the other woman. "Just let me know what you're drinking and let me do a round of refills and I'm back by your side before you know it." a warmer smile turned into a grin and a wink as the other woman blushed deeply.

"Deal." green eyes tried to find a place to land and they settled on what felt like was Roni's cheeks since she didn't seem to be able to meet her eyes. "Surprise me with something. Just as long as it had vodka in it." there was a small grin playing in the pink lips.

Roni started to work out a drink. She knew a lot of different ones but she wanted to make the blonde something she had never had before. Something special.

She slid it on the bar and said. "One vodka based magic special foooor..." Roni trailed off, waiting for the stranger to fill in the blank for her. And she wasn't disappointed.

"Emma."

Yeah, the name really fit the green eyes beauty in front of her Roni decided as she leaned back against the counter behind her. She was observing how Emma was biting her bottom lip while trying to decide on what colored straw she would like to use. She decided on yellow which seemed somehow out of character for when looking at the whole black assemble she was sporting.

Slowly the blonde sucked some of the drink into her mouth and her eyebrows shot up, her face clearly showing her surprise and how pleased she was with the taste.

"Not bad huh?" Roni laid her hands on the counter and leaned subtly closer.

"Not at all, it's actually amazing." Emma smiled at her. After a bit of a pause and few sips later she opened her mouth shyly. "Weren't you supposed to go to do some refills so we can... talk?"

The noticeable pause in the sentence made Roni perk up. Was Emma actually... flirting back at her? Seemed like that was the case, but Roni didn't want to assume. She wanted to determine this though in order to not make Emma uncomfortable if she had been reading the situation wrong.

"Oh of course, but my current company is just a bit too good to walk away from." Roni leaned just a tiny bit closer and flashed her perfect full teeth smile.

She could literally hear how Emma swallowed thickly and how she still met her eyes bravely. There was a slight tremble, a slight blush and Roni felt like she had assumed correctly on Emma. That didn't stop Emma from giving back the same she was receiving.

"Well, the sooner you go, the sooner you can be back here with me."

Now it was Roni's turn to falter. Oh, Emma was good, but she was ready for this challenge. She rose to her full height, shot the most charming grin she could to Emma's direction and quipped. "Well, this definitely has made the entire day worth it. See you in a bit, dear."

With that said, she rounded the bar and made her rounds. Her customers seemed to be all okay, only few new beers were requested in the corner table which she swiftly took care of. In no time she was back in front of Emma, who was happily slurping her drink. While Roni was gone though, she had removed her black leather jacket, leaving her milky shoulders bare. If she was honest with herself, Roni wanted nothing more than to touch those shoulders, just rub them gently. Well, maybe not all that gently.

Emma could see the reaction her barer upper body had on the bartender and she straightened her posture a bit as well. She felt really good about herself for the first time in ages and all of it had to do with the smoking hot bartender in front of her.

"Hi." she whispered sweetly, feeling happy unlike she had before she entered the bar. She was really looking forward to talking with the mysterious brunette, who she quickly realised she didn't know the name of. The place was called Roni's and she definitely could see that the brunette could be called Roni but she felt like she had to check that out somehow.

"Hello." Emma's sweet smile was matched with Roni's own. There was something mysterious about Emma, something utterly... _magical_. Roni wanted to roll her eyes at her choice of words, but decided against it. She had more important things in front of her now.

"So tell me about your day, Emma." Roni requested sweetly, leaning her head on her hands, setting her elbows comfortably on the table in front of her.

Emma wasn't usually a sharer by any means but before she noticed, she had told Roni everything. How things hadn't worked out with funding for work and how worn out and tired she really was of being in the public eye constantly. She wanted nothing more than to take some time for herself which she was now able to do when her project was put on hold. Emma was a director, who had made a few well recognized short films. She told Roni about her trips to different film festivals and how well it had all gone. But now, she was tired.

Roni couldn't say that she had seen any of the movies Emma mentioned, only because she didn't really watch a lot of anything. She often spend her time reading if she had the chance or felt up for it in general. But she was going to see what these movies were about, because she wanted to know more about Emma. She let the blonde tell her story without interrupting her, occasionally making another drink for her.

She could hear the disappointment in Emma's voice, the sense of self hate that came with having failed at something. Roni knew those feelings better than she wanted to admit and she felt sorry for the blonde and she wished she was somehow able to make her feel better.

"... so yeah, now I'm officially a director without a movie but if I'm honest... I'm pretty damn happy about that. This came in the right time, because of the time I need for myself." Emma said quietly, finishing off her third drink. The vodka had started to kick in the midway of the second and now she was feeling a little bit woozy.

"You shouldn't feel bad about wanting to take some time off and to feel better with yourself." Roni said locking her eyes with Emma. Damn those eyes were green. "You cannot do what you love fully, if you don't feel okay. So you shouldn't feel guilty at all."

Emma thought about that. In some way she knew it but having someone else say it out loud actually made her believe it. "Maybe you are right. It's just pretty damn hard."

Roni laughed. "I know, Emma, but things worth having aren't supposed to be easy."

The way the brunette woman laughed affected Emma's entire body. It was like a cleanse of all things heavy that were weighting her down. She felt suddenly less bad about her situation at work and more excited with the possibilities of other things she could achieve now. It wasn't like her to be optimistic but damn, she was really feeling it now.

"Thank you, Roni." Emma said before realizing she had completely forgotten about her plan on figuring out the bartenders name. Her eyes widened as she waited for the other woman to say something.

But the brunette smiled warmly and said. "You're welcome, Emma."

 

* * *

 

Roni had to go back to serving her other patrons but she occasionally came to chat with Emma. They talked about silly, mundane things like their food preferences and Emma even asked for Roni's favorite color which was black, to no one's surprise.

It was getting late and people were starting to leave. Roni waved her goodbyes and called a cap for the few of them. She did some cleaning on the tables and brought glasses back behind the bar before putting them all out for a wash.

Emma was still there, sitting by the bar, clearly pretty damn drunk. Roni had switched the blonde from drinks to water and juice ages ago but she was unsure had the blonde noticed that. From the way she was laughing at something on her phone though, it was unlikely.

"Emma." Roni said sweetly coming to stand next to the blonde woman. "Emma, I have to close the bar."

"Roni, look at this dog, isn't it funny?" Emma turned her phone towards the other woman, trying her hardest to keep her laughter in but she nearly fell from her chair when the dog eventually jumped over the fence.

Roni couldn't help but laugh as well but it was more to Emma's fun than it was to the video, although it was pretty funny too.

"Emma, did you hear what I just said?" she laid her hand gently on the bare shoulder. Damn, her skin was really smooth.

The blonde turned to look at the hand as well before she smiled up to Roni. "I did hear you, but I don't wanna leave yet, I'm having too much fun!"

Roni shook her head. "But I have to sleep, my dear. I have work to do again tomorrow and I have to be ready for all of it. Who knows which kinda blonde walks into my bar tomorrow and wants to talk?"

She meant it as a joke, but Emma looked suddenly sad again. "But... but I wanna be the blonde who you talk to..."

"Emma." Roni held onto her more tightly. "It was a joke, I was talking about you."

And just like that Emma's mood made a full 180 as she was back to being happy again. "Damn right it's me!"

Roni rolled her eyes now before trying to help the blonde to stand. She had seen her fair share of unsteady people trying to leave but Emma was something else. Those high heels were gonna be the reason the other woman broke her leg. Roni felt she was responsible for Emma now since the blonde seemed to be unable to even stand. Sending her home would be unwise because she wasn't sure would the blonde even be able to tell the driver her home address.

She had an idea.

"Emma." she started. "I live in the apartment above the bar. Would you like to stay for the night?"

The blonde looked at her clearly surprised and her mouth was hanging open for a bit. But then something in her brain kicked in another gear and a smirk spread on her face. "Are you trying to get me into your bed, babe, because I'm totally game!"

Roni shook her head before helping the blonde towards the stairs. She shut the lights on her way, giving the place a quick once over. Around the halfway she sat Emma down and removed the heels the blonde was sporting. The rest of the way in was way easier.

The apartment was rather large but very homey and warm, which might have not been the first thing that came to mind when you saw a badass like Roni. The livingroom was conveniently connected to the kitchen that only had a small island to eat on. There were book cases everywhere and there was a massive brown leather couch in the livingroom.

Emma had a hard time registering any of that because she had to put so much effort in keeping herself upright. Roni was leading her towards her bedroom with her arm wrapped around her waist, taking small, steady steps. She asked Emma did she have to use the toilet which the blonde had to think about a while. She eventually decided it must be a good idea and Roni led her to the bathroom.

Waiting outside Roni stretched and changed into her night gear which was a combo of leggings and a black t-shirt. As it seemed Emma was not yet done, she went to get some water and aspirin from the kitchen. She returned just in time to hear a flush and a wash, before the blonde stepped out. It seemed she was slightly more in control of her extremities but her face was still very flushed from the alcohol.

She wobbled to sit on the bed, while Roni hovered near by, ready to catch her if she was going to fall. The brunette handed the other woman the water and aspirin which the blonde accepted gratefully. They were quiet for a while, before Roni asked. "Can I give you something to sleep in?"

"I could use a shirt." Emma mumbled, looking down at the dress she was wearing. It wasn't going to be a comfortable night if she fell asleep in this.

Roni retrieved her another dark shirt and told the blonde she was going to go lock up while the blonde changed. As the brunette disappeared from the view Emma tried her hardest to make fast work with the zipper of the dress. She fumbled a little before she managed and the dress fell to her feet. Shrugging on the comfy shirt she snuggled into the bed.

It all smelled sweetly of the woman who was letting her stay in her house. Even though she was drunk Emma knew that there was something special about Roni and she wanted to see her again. Well, she was gonna see her in the morning for sure.

"I see you have made yourself comfortable." Roni smirked from the doorway, leaning against it. Emma looked positively adorable, having pulled the duvet all the way up to her neck so only her head was peaking out. She braid crown had gotten looser during the evening but now it was nearly coming undone which made Emma look even softer.

"Yes. I hope you don't mind." Emma whispered, feeling the tiredness hit her.

"Of course not, that's why I brought you in here." Roni said as she sat next to Emma on the bed. They were just looking at each other for a while before Emma yawned a bit. Roni laughed before smiling down at Emma. "I think it's time for you to sleep."

"Are you gonna join me?" Emma looked so hopeful but Roni had made her decision before she even had suggested that Emma would stay at hers tonight.

"Not tonight, my dear." Roni said but pressed a kiss to Emma's cheek. The blonde looked at her in amazement before another yawn. Her eyes were slowly shutting and she let out one more deep breath before it was clear that she had fallen asleep.

Roni stayed a while longer before she got up and turned off the lights. It had been an interesting day indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning came sooner than Emma was ready for. There was sun on her face and absolute softness around her as she did her morning stretches. Running her palms on the sheets she breathed in the pillow under her. It was a sweet smell, somehow very familiar...

That made Emma open her eyes suddenly. She was half expecting a splitting headache, but she realised she was feeling rather okay considering she had been drinking a fair amount the night before.

The ceiling she was staring up at was not hers, that was for sure and in any other situation she would have been mighty freaked out but she remembered everything. About the cute little bar and even cuter bartender, Roni. And she was at Roni's. As in the apartment and not the bar.

She stretched again, slightly bit wider than last time and her leg hit something. Stopping, she gulped. She had been sure she was alone in the bed but it seemed like she was not after all. Taking a few deep breaths, she raised her head from the pillow at the same time as something moved on the bed.

Before she could register what it was, there was a sudden weight on top of her. Emma let out a scream, trying to push at the weight but there was no use. What made her stop though was a lick. Square on her face.

"Emma!"

She turned her head towards the door where a familiar figure was standing. Roni was sporting only a big t-shirt with some fluffy socks and her curly hair was a mess. An adorable mess.

"It seems you have met my friend Sirius." she leaned on the door frame, smirking slightly crossing her arms over her chest.

Emma was confused but she turned to look at the creature still laying on her. Now that the situation had calmed down, she could see dark brown eyes staring back at her. There were massive black paws on her chest and the tongue that had just taken a lick at her was hanging joyfully out of a big mouth.

Emma let out a small laugh and that was when the dog got excited again and tried to lick her face. That made Emma laugh harder as she managed to sit up. A fluffy black dog was sitting on her lap, wagging it's tail seemingly very happy about the turn of events.

Lifting her hand to pet the dog, Emma turned her eyes to look at the brunette still smirking in the doorway. It seemed like a deja-vu kind of a moment, like the other woman would have done that exact same thing before. Considering they met yesterday, it must have been before Emma passed out. That made a gentle blush rise to the pale cheeks as the blonde remembered how she had barely been able to walk up the steps to the apartment. The embarrassment was soon replaced by warmth because Roni had let her stay, had asked her to.

"How are you feeling?" Roni saw how the other woman got lost in her thoughts, blushing slightly as she entered a particular memory. The blonde hair that had been a tasteful braid crown yesterday had gotten completely loose during the night and now a mass of golden hair was flowing down Emma's shoulder and down her back. She looked so unlike the woman Roni had met yesterday at the bar and that somehow made her even more beautiful in Roni's eyes.

"I'm good, thank you." Emma blushed again. "And good morning."

Roni couldn't help but laugh because how was this woman suddenly so adorable in her eyes. "Good morning, dear. Would you like some breakfast?"

"You don't have to-" Emma started to argue because she already felt like she had overstayed her welcome. She tried to leave the bed but the dog was sitting firmly on her legs, looking at her like he knew exactly what she was thinking about. Emma frowned at him slightly, but stopped her attempt to get up.

"Nonsense. I was making some for myself as well and you are my guest." Roni smiled before slowly walking closer and sitting down on the bed. Adjusting her legs under her butt she pulled the shirt to cover herself a little as she shivered. That seemed to alert the dog as he got up in seconds and snuggled close to Roni's side.

There was a gentle, private kind of smile curving on Roni's lips and Emma was captivated. She provided her dog with a gentle scratch behind his ear and he closed his eyes, laying a head on her lap. There was a serene silence in the room, and all of its occupants were happily enfolded in that. 

Emma was a bit confused with what she was feeling. She felt like this was a very normal, regular situation for them to be in but then again, it definitely wasn't. They had met for the first time yesterday, but there was something about the badass bartender that she was familiar with.

She physically shook her head rid of the thoughts which in turn made Roni and Sirius look at her weirdly. Emma was about to say 'its nothing' but then there was that smile again and she decided against it.

"Come on, Emma. It's time for all of us to eat... breakfast." Roni said 'breakfast' in such adorably over excited way, but it was clearly for the dogs benefit because the black ball of fur was out of the room in seconds, waiting in the kitchen no doubt.

Emma let out a snort, because this just seemed like something private that not everyone got to see. At least she hoped, because the idea of Roni bringing other people home for the night made her angry for some odd reason. She was snapped out of her thoughts by Roni speaking.

"Emma, are you okay?" Roni was leaning closer, still sitting in her spot on the bed. She could see the swirling of emotions and thoughts in those green eyes, but she was unsure was the blonde feeling sick from all of the alcohol or was there something else going on. As she had learned the night before, it had been really busy and tough time for the blonde, and there were things haunting her so maybe it all had something to do with that.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, still a bit tired." Emma said and smiled. She didn't want Roni to think anything was wrong because it wasn't. She realised that for the first time in years she felt like nothing was wrong, she felt content.

Roni searched her face for few more seconds before getting up. "In that case, it's time for all of us to eat breakfast. You can nap some more after that, but I'm starving." with that said, she made her way out of the door, her fluffy sock muffling the sound of her feet.

"I guess, it's time for breakfast then." Emma whispered and followed to brunette out of the bedroom.

 

* * *

 

Roni refused to let Emma help with breakfast preparations, which left the blonde sitting at the breakfast bar awkwardly, watching on how the brunette prepared breakfast. Roni seemed to be an expert, what with her grace and confidence in cooking. Emma felt compelled to admit that she was terrible at cooking and to her own surprise, she eventually shared.

It made Roni laugh, which felt like a win. Roni told her in return that she had learned to cook after she ended up living alone. She didn't elaborate who had she been living with before that and Emma didn't want to come off nosy, but she had to admit she was curious. There was something about the other woman that made her want to learn all of her secrets and learn everything there was to know about her. She was a mystery.

In no time they were all having breakfast. Roni had made them some scrambled eggs with some extra bacon and grilled cheese, all of it paired off with coffee and apple juice. She had also prepared Sirius his breakfast which consisted on some dry dog food and pre-made chicken. She had given an affectionate scratch behind his ear which apparently was his favorite spot before giving him an okay to start his breakfast. And as any dog, he munched it all down in seconds before moving to lay on a couch, watching over them.

Emma waited for Roni to sit down as well before digging into her breakfast. Yesterday had been all about consuming liquids so she felt like today she could definitely do with something more solid. She couldn't hold in a moan, when the taste of the eggs hit her taste buds. She had had some good eggs before but there was something unbelievable about the breakfast she was currently having.

Roni tried to hide her pleased smile as she looked on Emma devouring her plate full of breakfast. She hadn't really cooked for another person in a long time, having only had learned properly when her best friend had moved out. And cooking for yourself was totally different than cooking for someone else, it gave the food a different kind of meaning.

"So what have you got in the plans today?" Roni asked as she was reaching for another grilled cheese. This was easily one of her favorite breakfast foods, and it seemed that Emma was enjoying it particularly much as well.

"I don't know really... For the first time in ages I have nothing to do. I'm free to do whatever I want." Emma said, the realization hitting her hard. This really was the first time, she had been working since she was a teenager and now being well over 30 years old she had her first break.

"In that case..." Roni chewed a piece before continuing. "You should do something you haven't done in a long time, something you miss."

Emma thought of that. There were a lot of things she hadn't done in ages and there were definitely things she missed, but right now the only thing she wanted to do was the sit here, opposite Roni eating breakfast. It was strange how much she enjoyed the other woman's company and how reluctant she was to leave her.

"I guess there are a lot of things, but I have all the time in the world. I don't wanna rush it." Emma said reaching for more bacon. There was a sudden weight on her leg and upon looking down Emma could see pitch black eyes staring up at her. That made her smile and she looked at Roni, raising her eyebrows.

"You can give him a little bit, but you gotta suck most of the salt out of the bacon. I don't want him to get ill and that is the only way he gets bacon." Roni instructed, smiling lightly.

Emma did as she was told and the little piece of bacon vanished in seconds and the black eyes continued to stare up at her pleadingly. Emma giggled and petted the soft head that just snuggled in closer.

Roni looked at them curiously. It wasn't like Sirius to take to strangers like that, she had already been surprised enough about this morning when Sirius had gone to wake Emma up. Roni knew there was something... unique about Emma, and it seemed like her dog knew that as well.

"What are you gonna do? I know you have work later but what does a bartender do during their off time?" Emma leaned on her hand, finishing up her last piece of bacon all the while trying to ignore the dog next to her, begging for another piece.

"Well, I do what everyone else does, I suppose? Find things to do that make me happy." Roni smiled, getting up to take the dishes to the sink. "For example today I was gonna go to the mall later to replace the pair of jeans that I broke. And after that I have to check that the bar is ready to take in customers."

Emma carried her own dishes and the empty serving plates to the sink, thinking. She wanted to go with Roni. And that thought alone was leaving her quite speechless. It wasn't like her to get so comfortable with another person, at least not that fast. Because it was a known fact that Emma was an introvert, had been since she was a teen.

She felt like she had already overstayed her welcome, which is why she blasted a smile on her face when she turned back towards Roni. The brunette was on her knees on the floor, whispering to her dog, smiling in the way that made her eyes shine. Emma felt like whatever she was gonna say got wiped as her brains turned into smush.

"Emma? Are you alright?" Roni asked, cocking her head quite the same way Sirius was doing.

'Adorable' Emma thought but quickly shook her head. No, no to all of this.

"I was actually thinking of going. I have been your burden long enough." she smiled, but she could feel a bit of sting in her heart. And it seemed some kind of sting was easy to read on her face.

Roni got up from the floor and walked to Emma. The brunette woman had no problem stepping unusually close as she looked deep into Emma's eyes. The other woman was searching, what, that Emma wasn't sure about.

"Emma, you aren't a burden. If you were I would not have invited you to stay or offer you breakfast. I'm not that nice." there was a evil smile on her face and Emma let out a breath, not having noticed that she was holding it in.

"Well, that's good to know, I suppose." she shrugged, unsure what else to do. "I still have to get going I think. Maybe we will run into each other again?" Emma added, trying to hide the hopefulness in her voice.

"I'm sure we will. I'm not so hard to find." Roni smiled, taking a step back, giving Emma the room she needed to make her way to the door. She slipped into her heels before shrugging on her jacket. She gave a small awkward wave towards Roni before unlocking the door and stepping out.

Roni listened to the sound of the heels hitting the metal steps and how the backdoor closed before letting out a breath. She looked around her apartment, empty once more. She was unsure what it was about Emma that seemed so incredibly familiar to her. It wasn't like they had met before because _that_ Roni would remember. Emma Swan was gorgeous and captivating and Roni hoped she would see her again.

"Sirius." she said before sitting on the floor once again. "She's trouble. I can sense it." but there was smile on her lips, the kind that reached ones eyes and that lit a fire in them.


	3. Chapter 3

It was several days before Emma saw Roni again. It wasn't that she didn't want to see her, hell she was on her mind more often than not, but she had actually been pretty busy for a woman without a job. Turns out, one does not just drop her work like that because there were papers to fill, people to meet and deals to be made.

This was the part about film business that Emma hated. There was always more and more paperwork being included and the actual directing became secondary due to time. And directing her actors was what Emma loved to do. None the less she had pulled through with several movies, but now she felt like she had had enough.

It was sad that the project she had been working on had fallen through since everyone had been so ready to start working, but she wasn't sad about the break it was granting her. She hadn't lied to Roni when she had told her that there had always been a next gig, next grand thing for a young female director to be accomplished and she hardly had any time for herself.

But now, in this very moment in time she was laying on her couch in sweats and a hoodie, watching Netflix. She had a bowl of popcorn on the table in front of her and she could feel a certain feeling set in. It was called boredom. Sitting up she stared dead ahead, not really paying any attention to the movie she had been watching.

Roni had given her great advice and told her to do something she missed doing, something that made her happy. There was one specific thing in her mind that she knew she hadn't done in years which she now had a sudden urge to do. Emma took a quick peek outside the window before running into her bedroom to get changed. Before she knew it she had brushed her hair into a high ponytail and she was wearing jeans and a blazer as she set to get her things before walking out of the door.

It was a sunny day in Seattle and she was on her way to the park. There were several parks in the city but in this specific park there was a pond and every year for as long as she could remember there had been swans there. Having packed some apples and her favorite book, she had every intention in sitting on the bench reading and occasionally watching the swans.

There was something about the swans that Emma couldn't quite explain. It was so easy to relate to them in some weird level that she had never told anyone about. Maybe it was the whole ugly duckling thing, because Emma felt like that was definitely part of her story. But when she had first started to read about swans, there were couple of things she came by more often than anything else. Things like 'swans mate for life' and the widely known 'all swans belong to the queen'. Apparently it's something that's accurate in England but somehow Emma felt it was accurate in her as well. Somehow it all felt rather fitting in her head, making it yet another weird thing she wasn't able to explain.

It was in the middle of the day, on a weekday and most people were at work, which was Emma's favorite time to be out and about. She did enjoy living in the city but the blonde wasn't big on people. This was the time she preferred. Walking towards the pond, she quickly spotted a pair of swans calmly swimming around in the water. That made her stop and she was rather unsure how long she stood there just watching them. There was no rush, no people to meet or things to do. She was allowed to enjoy this for as long as she liked.

"Emma?"

Calling of her name made the magic shatter and she was ready to unleash her annoyance towards the sorry person who had disturbed her peace. But upon realizing who had called her name, every single bit of annoyance vanished as Roni came to view, trying to hold onto Sirius who was desperately trying to get to Emma faster.

Soon they were close enough for Sirius to greet Emma and the black dog didn't hesitate to jump up to meet Emma, trying to lick the blondes face as he did. Emma couldn't help but laugh which somehow spurred the black dog on even more. Sirius was not listening to Roni's directions to 'stop jumping' and to 'calm down'. No, everything that currently mattered to him was Emma.

Deciding to crouch down so the dog didn't need to jump, Emma ended up falling on her ass on the ground as Sirius was getting more and more excited.

"Oh, Emma, I'm so sorry!" Roni looked on horrified, trying to reel in her excited dog. "Sirius!"

But what stopped the brunette on her tracks was a carefree laugh in the air. It was resonating from a deep place within ones body, vibrating through the entire being. It left Roni rather mesmerized as the wind made the high blonde ponytail swirl back and forth. It was like something wonderful broke in Emma, because she couldn't stop laughing. Tears were streaming on her face and she actually had to hold onto her belly as she was definitely feeling the effects of laughing.

Sirius was looking at Emma curiously, more calm now but his tail was wagging so hard his entire body was shaking. Roni looked just as curious as her dog and after a while she felt compelled to say something. "Emma?"

That seemed to snap the blonde out of it somewhat, because she focused her green eyes on the brown ones looking at her questionably. She tried her hardest to swallow the laughs and eventually she was taking deep breaths, trying to calm down enough to speak.

"Are you alright?" Roni asked, now slightly concerned.

"You have no idea..." Emma smiled widely. "... how good that felt. It was definitely one of the things I haven't done in a long time." she reached out her hand towards Sirius who now walked over calmly only to sit between Emma's legs, waiting to be petted.

Emma had no problem with that as she set to pet the dog, not at all caring that she was sitting with her legs open on the ground. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so carefree and literally uncaring of what people thought of her.

Roni smirked, recognizing her own words. "Well, it seems you are off for a good start with that. Sometimes having a good laugh is all you need."

"I couldn't agree more." Emma was scratching Sirius from behind his ears. "So what brings you here?"

"Well the answer to your question is sitting between your legs." Roni sassed and Sirius looked up at her, clearly knowing she was talking about him. Roni raised her eyebrows to him which made him get up and come to her for a cuddle. There was that smile again, Emma noted. That sweet, shining smile that came in tandem with Sirius - it was what pure happiness looked like and it warmed the blondes heart that the bartender was having it.

Woah, when did it become so important to her that Roni was happy? She had met the woman once before and suddenly she cared for her? No, nope, nooo. Wasn't happening.

While Emma was trying to silence her mind and push the breaks, Roni had reached out a hand to help the blonde up. She was well aware that the blonde was thinking of something else so she patiently held her hand in place. It was certain Emma needed help getting up and after a surprisingly long time the green eyes focused on the hand. There was a question forming but before she could voice it, Roni offered an explanation.

"Just in case you need help getting up."

Emma took a hold of the hand without saying anything and the bartender pulled her up with one swift, strong move. She let go of Emma's hand but there was lingering longing in the air and it was unsure who it was from. There was an awkward silence before Roni cleared her throat, obviously intent on breaking it.

"So, did you have something else to do here other than falling on your ass and laughing the said ass off?"

There was something so honest in the way Roni presented herself and her things. She wasn't beating around the bushes just because that was what society called polite, but she was straightforward with her question and opinions. And for someone like Emma, it was refreshing.

"I came to see the swans." Emma said and looked at the pond again. It seemed like the swans weren't too bothered with the noise the blonde had caused with her laugh as they were still swimming calmly together, right next to each other.

Roni turned to look the direction Emma was looking at and she let out a slight gasp. "I have never seen them before!"

"Never?" Emma was surprised. The park was by no means a secret and as someone with a dog it seemed rather unlikely Roni had not walked past here at some point when the swans were there. "They nest here every year."

"I often take Sirius out towards the other end of the city but those few times we have been here... there has been no swans." Roni couldn't take her eyes of them. There was something weighing on her chest. Or maybe her head. She wasn't quite sure what it was but what she did know was the fact that the swans were important. That there was something she knew about them but she couldn't focus her brain enough to know what that was.

"Well, here they are now." Emma said, grateful they were there today. It would have felt weird coming here only to find out there were no swans. She hadn't been here in few years and now that she thought of it, it could have been very possible the swans were already gone. But here they were.

"Do you wanna sit down with me? I have some apples with me." Emma suddenly asked, quite floored with her own boldness. She had not meant to say it, not like that at least but now she could only wait and see what Roni answered.

Having been fully concentrating on the swans, Roni had been taken by surprise with the question. But the answer was easy. "Of course. But what kind of a pickup line are apples?" she smirked before sitting down on the bench next to them. Sirius settled by her legs, fully content in their break.

Emma blushed. "Actually it wasn't- I mean I didn't- You know what, shut up."

That made Roni laugh in turn. "I was only teasing." she patted the bench next to her. "Come and sit down. We have swans to stare at and apples to eat."

Emma sat down and opened her bag to hand Roni an apple. She tried her hardest not to stare when Roni bit into the apple, few droplets landing on her jaw. It took her a couple more bites to wipe it away and there was something so regal about her movements. Hurrying to catch up, Emma bit into her own apple. People had preferences when it came to colors of the apples but she was hundred percent for the red kind. They were the sweetest.

There was a comfortable silence as they munched on their apples. After a while they had both finished and Emma had gotten up to take both of the bits to the trash can nearby. She settled back on her spot before turning to Roni. "So is this another thing that bartenders do during the day?"

Roni turned towards Emma as well before smiling. "Yes. Buying jeans and walking my dog, that's what bartenders do on their off time." she winked.

"I knew it." Emma sounded proud of herself, lifting a hand to lay it victoriously on her chest. "I should win a price for this knowledge."

"How about a drink?" Roni asked, smirking yet again. "On the house."

"You got me at 'how'" Emma smirked back. They got up from the bench together and started to walk towards the direction where Roni and Sirius had come from. The black dog walked happily between them, not pulling one bit just giving occasional licks on Roni's hand.

Emma was thinking back to their conversation just now: was there flirting? She wasn't a stranger to flirting, but this seemed so subtle and natural that she was at the loss of what to do. She liked it, I mean she really did, but she wanted to be cool and smooth about it, but the second she got worried, she was going to ruin it. That she was really good at.

It wasn't a long way back to the bar and Roni unlocked the front door to let Emma in first. She told the blonde to make herself comfortable before disappearing into the stairs to take Sirius into the apartment. Emma decided to use the opportunity to walk around the bar since when she had entered that night, it had been almost full and seeing anything else but the bar top had been impossible.

Roni's had a sense of warmth and comfort in it. It was cozy down to the colors of brown and softness of the chairs. There was a massive fireplace just waiting to be lit and strong wooden tables expecting drinks to be placed upon them. Double doors led to a small outdoors area with a couple of chairs and a table. Emma felt like on a normal day this was a place to hang out in, maybe do some reading or writing. Yes, this would actually be better than fine.

There was clanking of the metal steps as Roni made her way downstairs. She noticed Emma was looking around her bar, like she was seeing it for the very first time. And in a sense she probably was.

"Beautiful isn't it?" Roni said proudly, settling on her place behind the bar.

"It is. It's so... warm." Emma said as she walked to sit on the barstool she had vacated just some nights ago. In sense it felt like it had been a lifetime ago but it also very easily could have been four seconds ago. Somehow time wasn't really that real of a concept when Roni was around.

"I wanted it to be welcoming, I wanted it to be a place where one could come for safety, for a drink, for a talk. It's the only bar around and I don't have much competition but I still wanted it to be the best anyone has ever had."

"Well, you are doing one hell of a job." Emma felt like complimenting Roni because it was true. She had felt welcome from the moment she had stepped into the bar.

"Thank you." Roni smiled. "So what shall it be?" she gestured to the extensive wall of alcohol behind her. "As I remember you are a vodka kind of girl, but is it what you want to have today?"

"Isn't it too early to drink?" Emma raised her eyebrow.

"There is no such thing." Roni answered without missing a beat. She was clearly looking for something herself before she got to her tippytoes to reach a bottle on one of the higher shelf. She poured a healthy amount into a glass before taking a small sip. Closing her eyes, she hummed deeply, obviously enjoying whatever it was the she was drinking.

Emma was transfixed. Roni was quite literally the most beautiful, sexiest woman she had ever seen in her life and Emma had seen her fare share. It was not a secret that she had been attracted to both men and women and she had been publicly seen with both. And for some reason she got the same vibes from Roni.

"Try this." Roni held out the glass and Emma took it without questioning it. She took a careful sip, feeling the warm liquid work itself into her body. There was nothing she could do to stop the deep moan that was bubbling out of her.

Roni smirked knowingly and when Emma opened her eyes, she quipped. "Told you so."

"What is this?" Emma was inspecting the liquid in the glass. Against the light there were colors of gold and brown, swirling together in mesmerizing harmony.

"It's my high end, top shelf stuff. Not many people order it, not many people know it exists." Roni said, reaching for the glass that Emma gave back. The brunette took another sip, closing her eyes again.

"You still didn't answer my question: what is it?" Emma said, in turn reaching out to take the glass they were apparently sharing. Roni gave it to her and their hands ended up touching. There was a second where it all stopped moving and their eyes locked. But just as fast as the moment started it was over.

"They call it the rainbow liquor. It's mixture of several alcohols that you think wouldn't go well together but somehow they have cooked it into something that actually makes you purr like a cat." Roni smirked, but there was something different about this smirk, something slightly dangerous. And that was hot, like really really hot.

"Well, it certainly does." Emma kept her eyes locked on the brown ones when she finished the drink and setting down the glass. It was also clear that on top of unicorn kisses and rainbows, this particular drink also had a very high alcohol level because the young blonde could feel slightly fuzzy after it.

"Did you have other things you were planning on doing today?" Roni asked, tinkering something behind the bar. In no time she set down a glass of clear substance with a lemon slice and a tiny yellow umbrella on it.

Emma took a sip without even asking what was in it and she nearly chocked as she started laughing. The other woman had put all this effort in to give her a glass of water. Roni was well aware as to why the blonde was laughing as she only slightly raised her eyes. She fixed herself a similar drink but her umbrella was purple instead of yellow.

Lifting up her glass, she toasted. "For us, to not to get drunk before my shift starts, cheers." she clinked her glass with Emma's before taking a big gulp.

"So funny, you are." Emma sassed before she took another sip of her water. She did need this, after all the alcohol she had just had hit her harder than normally.

"I'm a delight." Roni smiled big.

There was a silence again. There had been several ones during today but somehow this felt like the most comfortable yet. They didn't need to say anything, because somehow sipping those waters was enough for now.

Roni was looking at the blonde woman sitting on the barstool she had sat on the first night she visited the bar. It was so weird as Roni could feel a sense of familiarity about Emma, but just as she was in the verge of discovering where she knew her from, it slipped away. She felt comfortable in her presence, like she could tell her anything. Maybe they had been best friends in another life. And it really didn't hurt that Emma was absolutely gorgeous too.

The clock was ticking and Roni knew she had to start to get the bar ready for the customers. It was a middle of the week night so it wasn't all that busy and there were no loud music tonight. The brunette finished her drink quickly and started to stack up some of the glasses on their places.

"Can I help?" Emma asked, looking on as Roni was getting ready for her day of business.

"No, that's okay, dear." Roni said, suddenly very aware that she had called Emma 'dear'. She knew she had done it before, several times actually but she still felt a slight blush rising to her cheeks.

Emma settled back on her spot, not wanting to intrude but still very much wanting to help. As if someone knew the was free, her phone rang. Both Emma and Roni stared at the offending device on the counter before Emma craned her neck to see who was calling. She let out a long frustrated sigh before picking up.

Roni tried to busy herself and not to listen. But it was hard, so very hard. Not to mention she had seen the caller ID. Whoever this woman was, Roni already disliked her and she was unsure why that was. Hearing Emma raise her voice made Roni raise her eyes to see the clearly annoyed blonde speaking to her phone.

"Why do you need me for that? I'm done, remember? I should not have to-" she was clearly cut of in the other end of the line. "I'm not even home, I don't have these papers with me everywhere I go." more mumbling in the phone line. "Fine. But after that, I wanna be left alone." she ended the call with a loud grunt of frustration.

Roni looked at Emma for a minute before asking. "Everything okay?"

"No, not really. I just do not understand how hard it is to leave me alone. I spend the last couple of days in taking care of my affairs so the project is officially put on hold. I was assured yesterday it was all fine and that they'd only contact me if there was something new in funding." she shook her head, clearly calming down. "I just want to be left alone, you know. I don't want them to bother me very single second of every single day with something. This is why the losing of the funding was a blessing in disguise. I didn't know how much I needed this until I saw an out." she looked suddenly so sad and Roni felt compelled to reach out for her. But she didn't.

"What did they ask of you?" Roni felt really bad for Emma. It was clear that no matter how much the other woman loved her job, it had become taxing and it was no longer fun for her. Not to mention she was tired, very tired.

"Some papers that I apparently have on my place and no one else has." Emma shook her head sadly. "Which means I have to get going."

"Oh." Roni didn't want her to leave but she couldn't keep her here either. "I guess I will see you around then?"

"Yeah." Emma was looking down at her phone, silently cursing. She didn't want to go but if she wanted to get rid of work she had to go and do this thing. So she got up, finished what was left of her drink before giving a yet another awkward wave. Roni responded by nodding.

They were both left feeling a sense of loss. It was not like neither of them wished the day to end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> every single time i go 'oh yas i have time to write' something. always. comes. up.  
> i'm currently working on my fic for supernova, but i wanted to update this one in the meantime.  
> i hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> My girlfriend is the greatest supporter of my writing and this story has been fully inspired by her and her ideas.  
> I love you, baby. Thank you!


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